Rim construction



Patented Nov. 1,1927.

e irc i STATES WILLIAM n. ivIcoULLoUen, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN;

PATENT RIM GONSTRUCTIQN.

Application lcd August 2, 1923.` Serial No. 655,187'.`

structure having` characteristics individual to itself-#the structures of a common type l are designed to be substantial duplicates.

\ t To produce this result it is, of course, necessary that the various features that enter into the completev formation are themselves substantial duplicates, but as in the case of all production operations, therel is more vor v less variation from la standard, and it is therefore essential that the parts be so ar ranged and formed as to meet the conditions brought aboutvby these variations, and

at the same time provide that desired general f uniformity in final product.

"One of the essential elements employed in producing la formation of this type is the part generallyvknown as the rim strip, thls 0 being the border strip which practically forms the part,l of the formation that is.

i seated on the vehicle seat or frame itself,

this strip carrying bot-tom portions of the coil springs, and generally carrying either the apron or the downwardly extending porvtion of the cushion, depending upon the particular type of cushion employed.

Not only are'the conditions of production important factors, in the characteristics of the rimstrip; the conditions of service also play an importan-t part in connection with the y selection ofthe type of rim strip which may be employed. For instance.l a rim strip that contacts with thebody seat of the vehicle only at-an outer margin, tends to place a strain upon the strip in .service since the pressure exerted onkthe inner portion of the strip by the weight of the rider compressing the spring, tends to twist or distort the strip itself, so that the latter must be formed of a material of suchl Weight and gage as would 4inherently resist this deforming action, theresult being that the material must be of a comparatively heavy gage; in ad- 5 dition, any ,variation as by warping or bending of the strip at such margin tends to clined in opposite directions s'o as to probreak down the length of contact and thus effects the stability of the structureinpuse.-

vAnother characteristic is yfound in the readiness with which vtheV apron vor the cush- 6o ion structure .may be `secured `to the Vrim strip. Becauseofthe strength requirements. the rim strip is generally of a metal shelllike construction, it being a common practice to enclose within this structure aftacking strip of ber or other suitable material to which the apron or cushion can be secured by tacking, this type beingl generally employed. The fact that the taclring strip is enclosed within the shell-like. structure practically requires that the edges of the metal structure be brought over the outer face of the tacking strip Iinforder to retain the lat'- -ter within r.the structure-it being understood of course,l that the intermediate porl tion of the metal is provided with the spaced projecting portions on the inner side of the` tackingrstrip, the space between these projections receiving a part of a springconvoluv tion, the projections being clamped vover the positioned convolution. Owing tothe fact that the projecting portions which receive the spring are practically limited as to spacing by thegage of the spring'material, it becomes a somewhat difficult.y matter to en` 85 close the taelring strip by the shell structure itself and at the same time leave a suflicientamountV of the tacking strip exposed to permit of rapid tacking of the apron or cushion structure in position; Ait will be readily 9@ understood that with a small exposure of the taclring strip, it becomes necessary for the trimmer to 'take considerable' care in the placing of his tacks in order that the latter will enter the tacking strip and not be driven on to the metal portion of the surface over which the apron extends. n

To meet this condition it has been proposed to employ a cross sectionof'rim strip in .which the top andvbottom faces are invide aV greater width at the outer face of the rim strip, thus enabling a greater width of 'tackling strip face to beexposed for tacking purposes. This, however, brings in the difficulty thatv the contact with `the vehicle seat is practically limited to the. outer margin of the rim strip, thus presenting the diiiculty heretofore pointed out.

These diiiiculties, together with otherssuch for instance as the fact that'the apron or cushion structure and the tacks overly the outer face of the rim strip, so that theyare constantly subject to wear when the cushion is being positioned on or removed from the seat-have led, in some cases to a differenttype of strip Iformation by means of which tacking of the apron or cushion may be avoided; this, however, requires a 'different structural formation and a dierent method of securing the flexible apron or cushion portion in position, tending to slightly increase the cost and decrease the rapidity of operation by the trimmer.

The present invention has for its object the production of a rim strip of the tacking strip type referred to, the invention being such as to produce a structure which will avoid many of the diculties present-including those above referred to-and at the same time provide a cross sectional. configuration such as will permit of production at practically no greater cost than the prior structures and with at least equal facility, the strip, at the same time, being of greater strength than the strips heretofore employed While permitting of anv easier and more rapid application into the complete formation product through the ability of theV Y trimmer to worlr with less care in the taclring operation, thus increasing trimming provduction in manufacture.

To these and other ends, therefore, the nature of which will be more readilyunderstood as the invention is hereinafter discloset, -said invention consists in the imr proved construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described, illustrated in the accompanying lrawings, and more particularly pointed out Y in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the views,

Figure l is a section taken through a portion of a spring seat formation, the fo mation being shown as located in its service position. Y

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of portion of the spring cushion formation of Fig. l,

3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rim strip and the apron or cushion portion tached thereto, the view showing parts in section.

In the drawings, a; indicates the spring formation generally made up of a plurality of coil springs suitably connected to provide a spring unit, b designates the cushion, shown as provided with a binding Zi and which may, if desired, be simply the usual apron, and c designates theV border or rim strip, this strip being generally arranged to provide a border around the lower portion of the spring zone,'and having a cross sectional coniiguration such as will permit springs to be secured in position at its inner side,and a depending portion of the cushion is indicated generally at al. 0f these parts,

those indicated at a, b, Z2', and al, may be of the general type, and variable as to Vstructure, etc., to produce the dierent varieties of seat construction in' general use. rlhe present invention pertains more particularly to the part c, and this will now be describedv more in detail.

As shown, the rim strip is made up of the metallic channel member 10 and the tacking strip portion 11, the latter being of suitable material, such for instance as fiber. The strip is generally made in lengths and then bent to theproper shape to provide the desired contour for the border, the ends of the strip then being `joined together to complete the border and maintain it against distortion, the arrangement being such 'that the strip' is generally of similar Y cross section throughout'its length, so that a description of the strip on a cross sectional plane will practically describe the strip itself.

As shown for instance in Fig. 3, the mem ber i0 is provided with a flat face 'lOa which forms the seating face for the entire cushion structure, this face thus extending in a practically horizontal plane and being designed to rest upon the support d throughout substantially the width of the face; at points in the direction of length of the strip itself, this condition is varied, as presently described, through the fact that in crimping the spring convolution in place, there may be a tendency to shift a portion of this particular lface out of such plane. 1t will be understood, of course, that in referring to a horizontal plane with respect to this face, the term is employed in a relative sense, it

being readily understood that the plane may entend 1n other directions than horizontal,

where the Ainstallation is of a type such as to place this face in a different relation to the general structure with 'which the strip may be combined.

The face portion 10a, as shown, leads into a channeletL portion 10b, the channel being provided two projecting portions, each of which is produced by doublingthe metal upon itself. These projecting portions are more or less similar to those heretofore employed in the art, the principal difference being that in the present construction, the lower portion of the lower projection eX- tends as a part of face portion 10a. 1n prac tice, a portion of a convolution of a spring is inserted into the channel after which those portions of the projections which project on to the inside of the convolution, are crimped by a suitable tool, thus anchoring the spring convolution within the channel.

Lea-'7,41 ii The vproj ections and channel portionhave" heretofore been employed, but in prior structures it is generally the case that the yupper run of the upper projection is continuedr in practically lthe same plane to the outer portion` ofthe vtacking strip; such Vthe taclring strip, due to the fact that the channel l()b is of comparatively small dimensions. In the present invention thisL has been changed by providing a vertical continuation 10c of the member to a suitable distance, after which the memberfis bent over to carry it outward, as at 10d. In this form, the structureis practically a continuous channel of a width sufficient to receive the taclring strip 11. To complete the rim strip, the margins of member 10 are bent toward each other over the positioned tacking strip 1l, thus securing the tacking strip in position. f

v Because of the vertical height of the member produced in this way, a tacking strip of considerable vertical height may be employed and theinturned margins of member l will overlie the ltacking strip to such an extent as to prevent any possibility of the taclring strip being moved from its position, the'tacking strip being practically anchored Within member by this arrangement. And although this anchoring action be present, the distance between the opposite inturned margins of member l0 is such as to provideV for a considerable exposure of the tacking strip therebetween.

And this effect is enhanced by the fact that the thickness of the taclring strip at the bottom is in excess of that at the top, the arrangement thus causing portion l0a to extend outwardly a greater distance than the upper portion, this being shown more clearlyvinl Fig. l whereinv the lower portion of the rim strip is shown as projecting a considerable distance beyond the upper portion of member 10, Vthe complete configuration being such as to provide this lower marginal portion l()e as bent inwardly at an angle; hence there is an extended surface contact between this margin portion 10e, and the positioned tacking strip.

As shown in Figs. l and 3, the inturning of the margins of member 10, provided under heavy pressure, tends to compress the taclring strip and to force it into' the spaces 'which form the doubled portions of the projections, so that the'taclring strip is held very firmly in position within member l0.

If desired, and this is preferred, the exposed portion of the tacking strip may be `curved outwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thus notonly providing for a neat and attractive appearance, but also enabling the trimmer to provide a more finished product wheniattaching the curtain portionb or apron, as thev casey may be.

As Ashown in Fig.` l, the rim strip :formation provides not onlyL the advantages referred to, but also insuresva flat and extended seating .surface on part CZ, and at the same time meets another condition that is of importance in operation, as will be understood Vfrom the' fact that it is the prac-Y tice to employ an upstanding member cl to prevent the outwardzmovement ofthe cush-` ionv seat in service, this memberbeing generally roi'inetal.l Under the usual types of structures, the fact that the taclring strip projects outward to practically the outward plane of the rimstripfplaces the depending` portion of the cushion or the apron as the case may be, as project-ing outside of the normal limits' of the rim strip, so that any movement of the seat while in position tends to damage the curtain or apron, as well as the tacks, through Contact with member d; and when the seat'is being placed in position or being removed, thistendency is always present, so that there is a continuous liability of damaging kthe connections as well as the appearance of the cushion depending portion or apron. In the present arrangement, this is avoided through the fact that the projecting bottom portion of the rim stripy prevent'scontact of the cushion or apron with member cl either in service or during periods when the seat is being positionedor removed from the automobile.

The rim strip can be produced in a simple and etiicient manner by the general methods heretofore employed in producing 'rim strips, so that the cost of production is not materially increased and, at the same time, the positive advantages*heretofore pointed out, together with lother yobvious advantages, will beobtained. Y

IVhile I have herein shown and described the preferred way in which 4the present invention may be carried into effect, it will lbe understood that changes and `n'ioditications therein may be found desirable or essential in meeting the exigencies rof use, and I desire to be understood as reserving the rightto maire any and all such changes and modifications as may be essential in sofar as the same may' fallwithin the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed in the. accompanying claims when broadly construed.

l. In upholstery spring construction, wherein the upholstery is supported by spiral springs and the upholstery includes a marginal portion positioned to curtain thev spring formation, a rim strip assembly adapted'to support a spring turn on avlateral face of the assembly and to position the lower margin of the upholstery marginal portion, the spring turn and the margin of ion lll

the upholstery material being secured on opposite sides of the assembly, said assembly comprising a shaped metallic strip and a taclring strip secured within the metallic strip by bent` marginal portions of such metallic strip, a cross section ot the assembly presenting such strip marginal portions as extending in generally opposite directions toward a medial horizontal plane of the assembly with the edges of such portions spaced from such plane to present an exposed taclring zone or' the taclring strip, said marginal portions extending toward such horizontal plane in different directions relative to a vertical plane of the assembly through the tacking strip, the taclring strip having faces complemental to and in contact with said oppositely-extending marginal portions of the metallic strip throughout the cross-sectional width of such portions.

2. A rim strip assembly as in claim l, characterized in that oney of the strip marginal portions extends inwardly toward such vertical plane.

l3. A rim strip assembly as in claim l, characterized in that the strip marginal portion below the tracking zone extends inwardly toward such vertical plane.

ll. A rim strip assembly as in claim l, characterized in that the metallic strip portion which forms thebottom of the assembly extendsl in a horizontal plane and the marginal portion leading therefrom extends in wardly toward the vertical plane, whereby the assembly presents a portion projecting outwardly beyond the exposed face of the taching strip and below the tracking zone.

5. A rim strip assembly, as in claim l, characterized in that the marginal portion of the strip above the taclring zone extends approximately parallel to the vertical plane7 the marginal portion below such zone extending inwardly toward such vertical plane.

Y6. A. rim strip assembly as in claim l, characterized inv that the marginal portion of the strip above the taclring zone extendsv approximately parallel to the vertical plane, the marginal portion below such zone extending inwardly rom beyond the outer plane of the upper marginal portion toward such vertical plane.

7. A rim strip assembly as in claim l, characterized in that the marginal porti-on of the strip above the taclring zone extends approximately parallel to the vertical plane, the marginal portion below such zone extending inwardly from beyond the outer plane of the upper marginal portion toward such vertical plane, the amount of outward projection ot the lower marginal portion being such as to locate the tacked portion of the upholstery marginal portion within the space included between such vertical plane and a plane parallel thereto and passing through the point of greatest. projection 'or the strip marginal portion below the tackstrip marginal portions as extending in gen-r erally opposite directions, toward a medial horizontal plan-e or the assembly wit-h the edges of such strip marginal portions spaced from such plane to present an exposed tacking zone of the taclring strip between the opposed edges, said metallic strip having an intermediate portion of its cross-section bent to form a channel formation to receive the spring turn with the channel on the opposite side ol'v the tacking strip from Vsuch strip marginal portions, the lower wall ot the channel formation extending inthe bottom plane oi' the assembly with such bottom plane parallel to the medial horizontal plane, said taclring strip having a vertical dimension greater than the similar dimension or' the channel formation, the transverse dimension of such taclring strip being different on the opposite sides of the taclring zone, with the greater dimensionlocated below such zone. Y

9. A rim strip as in claim 8, characterized in that the exposed face of the tacling zone of the taclring strip projects outwardly beyond the strip marginal' edges.

10. i rim strip as in claim 8, characterized in that the exposed tace ot the taclring zone or' the tacling strip is curved outwardly to project beyond the strip marginal edges.

ll. A rim strip assembly as in claim 8, characterized in that the intermediateportion of the taclring strip carries the taclring zone and has a transverse dimension greater than the upper portion of `the tacking strip and less than the lower porti-on of such tack* ing strip.

l2. A rim strip assembly as in claim 8, characterized in that the intermediate portion ot the taclring strip carries the taclring zone and has a transverse dimension greater than the upper portion of the taclring strip and less than the lower portion of such tacking strip, the exposed face orn the taclring strip being curved outwardly to project beyond the metallic strip marginal edges.

ln testimony whereof I alix my signature.

WILLIAM D. MGCULLOUGH.

lli 

